avast! Free Antivirus – yes, it’s that good

New Zealand’s state MetService website was hijacked by malware (apparently a fake antivirus) during a particularly high time for traffic, according to a stuff.co.nz news article. The article has prompted more than 100 comments in the first day, mostly from understandably upset site visitors who may have picked up the malware on their computers.

Here, however, I just want to show you one comment, as it’s nice to see this sort of feedback in the real world. It’s no secret that we typically offer our free version in tests against our competitors’ paid-for versions, but even the results from independent testing facilities don’t feel as rewarding as feedback like this from our user community:

Fortunately for those MetService users who were not using avast!, they can install it now and run the avast! boot-time scan — and that should do the trick.

Woah nice.im proud to be an avast user for quite a long time.long live avast!!

http://twitter.com/stavrius Stavrius

Dear avast developers. I use NOD32 Antivirus for my PC. If you are as good as you say you are, can you please ensure me that I’d have nothing to lose if switch it to Avast Free Antivirus? Thanks

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mashak Jason Mashak

@Stavrius
I’m not a developer here, but I’ll respond the best I am able.

ESET (maker of NOD32) is a good company. They’re based a few hours east of us, in Bratislava (Slovakia). Strangely enough, AVG is between us, based in Brno (Czech Rep). All three of our companies, all based in the former Czechoslovakia, typically lead in independent antivirus tests.

As an American who moved here to Prague in 2006, I can tell you that there’s something about the mentality of the region that makes our security solutions more effective than those of many other companies. You could say it’s an incredible sense of practicality – i.e., complex theoretical approaches are fine, but the real question is does it really work? Compare it to the mentality of the American Midwest, where so many immigrants from this region have settled during the past century.

If you had written that you use one of the more popular security ‘bloatware’ products that often come pre-installed on people’s computers, it would be easier to answer your question with a clear ‘yes, you are correct – you have nothing to lose and much to gain’.

Deeptam

I shifted from NOD32 to avast….Avast is way too better than NOD32..I like its faster scan rate & boot-time scan..

freddie

good ol’ avast! its served me well

Rahul

love you avast! It’s been 3 or more happy years since i’ve been using it.

Dave

I’ve been using Avast for years and have never had a virus. I’ve tried numerous other packages on other computers, but all have disappointed in one way or another (letting threats through, slow scans, eating system memory, conflicting with other programs, etc). Avast just seems to blow the competition out of the water! Everyone at Avast offer one heck of a pat on the back for their continuing excellent work!

Well, I’m Greek so I know quite good the region of the former Czechoslovakia. It’s not far away from here.

Anyway, I got your point. Thanks again for answering.

coolmario88cp

Avast has protected my computer from many viruses. Avast Anti-Virus is AWESOME!

Reece

@Stavrius
Avast is a really good free antivirus program and you really got nothing to loose it saves alot of avast users from viruses and comes with voice effects which you dont see in virus programs alot.

http://twitter.com/stavrius Stavrius

@Deeptam
Hey Deeptam , as you already know, NOD32 is very light and fast antivirus software. This is actually my only concern about switching to Avast free. If it’s at least as fast and light as NOD32, then I guess I’d give it a try.

i like avast!,it always secures my computer while being on internet.only had one major problem,but i fixed that myself.Avast! is a very good free anti-virus.. if teh free one is this good,what would the premium be

JC

I tried many antiviruses but did not find better than Avast – and believe me, it is not only because I am Slovak….@Jason Mashak

http://N/A Don

I tried the free version of Avast for a year and loved it so much I upgraded to the paid version and have been keeping up the subscription ever since.
I’m a big fan of try before you buy and Avast proved itself right off the bat!
I recommend it to everyone who asks me what anti-virus software they should get!

Pereira

Avast is the best!!! i have used almost all other anti virus programme but nothing compares to avast…. talk of simplicity and performance…. i will rate avast 100 over 100…

i wanted to see lord ganesh pictures on the net yesterday and i used google for that clicked on the third link and avast! blocked the site and came up saying that it blocked JS-Redirector-DC….good job avast!

http://facebook Rizwan Hafeez

I used many antivirus softwares and Last was Nod32. But Avast is better than all other antivirus softwares. I have been using avast for last 5 to 6 months. I find it realy good. I used 3 avast products. free antivirus, avast pro and internet security. These all are good and better than others.

LunarWolf

Actually, I still think Kaspersky is better than avast. Here are my reasons :

1. Kaspersky self defense is superior compare to avast’s. Look at the test done by Malware Research Group. Kaspersky have been consistenly scoring 100% in their test. Not sure is bias or not as Dr Web also score similarly high as Kaspersky. Both are Russian products.

2. Kaspersky heuristics is better than avast’s. Look at AV comparatives Retrospective/Proactive Test. Not only that, Kaspersky performance in Whole Product Dynamic Test also speaks of the result itself.

3. Kaspersky’s response time to the threats I submitted to them is faster than avast’s. Avast takes I think 3 days. Kaspersky in a matter of hours.

4. Kaspersky have real time cloud analysis of unknown malicious file (2011 version onwards. Didn’t see it in earlier version). Say a computer which have Kaspersky install didn’t have the signature for a particular malware, but Kaspersky Virus Lab have identify it, the computer which have Kaspersky install will warn the user that Kaspersky Security Network (their cloud system) have mark the file as dangerous and the system is protected. That is the most impressive feature I have seen in Kaspersky. I admit, I was blown away.

5. Kaspersky is a Russian company. Russian programers are known as one of the best in the world.

Kaspersky have slip in the 2011 version where their detection rates drop and stuff like that but they bounce back with their 2012 version.

But I am still a avast user. Why?

1. avast prove itself that it is one of the best in its class. Not the best yet, but maybe in the future.
2. avast is free.
3. avast is catching up with Kaspersky.

Maria Celia Fontaina

Punta del Este, Uruguay – Last night I bought the package for one year of the Avast services, through PayPal. However, one of your notices of a certain virus, keeps on appearing and disturbing my work. I cannot stop it, pls. let me know what I should do. Also, there’s no sign of my bought upgrading. Cordially, Maria Celia Fontaina

raja kulathilaka

i am using avest for two years its very useful for pc i hope to brought one package soon

C. Ritter

I cannot move detected files to virus chest for deletion….. any clues on what steps I should take…. as and FYI, I am running superantispyware as well…. does this have an adverse impact. Thanks, C. Ritter

puneet thakral

new avast blog antivirus

http://chocolatosblog.blogspot.com Chocolatosboy

I use avast free edition 6. I had a problem with one of the features of avast is a web of protection features. When I use web-protection feature. My browser can not connect to the Internet. but when I turn off the features of a web of protection, then I can use my browser. My computer uses Windows XP operating system, and using mozilla firefox browser chroome version 6 and version 15. Please help so I can surf with my browser and still be able to activate the protection feature web. Thank you.

@C. Ritter
Any time you run more than one computer security program you take a risk, as each is specifically designed to do a job, but not necessarily specifically designed to be compatible. On the particular compatibility you’re asking about, the best source of info would be our avast! Forum members, many of whom help us a great deal in optimizing avast! features and functionality: http://forum.avast.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/mashak Jason Mashak

@Chocolatosboy
Typically, any time a new browser version is released, many plug-ins that do not yet work with them are fixed within a few days and an update is sent automatically to users. If you are still having problems after a few days, check the avast! Forum http://forum.avast.com/ or our Support page http://www.avast.com/support

I like reading testimonials like this from repair techs, as they’re the ones who have “seen it all.”

jakevanderleeuw

willtake your free subsription for another year.

tega

hi

Arja Kitunen

Hello,

I don’t know how to get a contact to somebody who can help me?? I bought Avast license about 2 weeks ago. At this time I didn’t have rights to install it at once. Now I have get administrator’s rights but no avast-installing package, I lost IT at computerupdating. Could anybody help me to get install-package one more time? I trust on AVAST!

Warning! This site has a poor reputation.
[Annoying ads or popups]
Web of Trust Reputation Scorecard for d3.zedo.comhttp://www.mywot.com/en/scorecard/d3.zedo.com
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30-day site report for: zedo.com
Surf with caution
During the last 7 days potentially active threats were detected on a subdomain. However, no threats were detected on the main site.
* (Updated Sep 03, 2011 23:59 GMT) *

Compromised Pages: 325

Threat Types Found
10 Dangerous Downloads
1 Script Injection

Detection stats
Last reported threat activity: Sep 03, 2011
Days with threats in last 30: 30 days (100% of total)
Days with threats in last year: 107 days (29% of total)